Health workers put Ebola patient, Father Miguel Pajares of Spain, into an ambulance Aug. 7 at a military air base in Madrid

LAGOS, Nigeria (CNS) -- In an effort to curtail the spread of Ebola, the
archdioceses of Lagos and Abuja instructed their priests to suspend all
forms of physical contact during Mass, including the traditional sign
of peace.

"Taking into consideration the fact that this rite is optional, we shall
henceforth omit it, i.e., not invite people to offer the sign of peace.
When you get to this rite, skip it," Lagos Archbishop Alfred Adewale
Martins said in a statement Aug. 10.

He said while holy water could be used in homes and offices, the fonts
at church entrances should be emptied. He also encouraged the use of
gloves when counting money from Mass collections.

He advised priests to use extra care when visiting the sick, especially
when administering the sacrament of anointing of the sick.

The archbishop also advised them "to avoid physical contact when giving out holy Communion."

Cardinal John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan told journalists Aug. 10 that the
church was taking necessary precautionary steps to avoid the spread of
the disease.

"We did not ban handshaking during Mass. We are only discouraging it,
and it is going to be temporary until it is clear that Nigeria is no
longer under Ebola threat," he said.

The World Health Organization declared an international public health
emergency in West Africa Aug. 8 as the death toll neared 1,000. Most
deaths were in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, but two people have
died in Nigeria, and more than 130 people were quarantined there because
of suspected contact with the virus.

Ghana's bishops have urged their government to be extra vigilant in
screening people who enter the country by sea, including fishermen who
return to their families.